Load monitoring system for waste hauler based on a speed of powertrain

ABSTRACT

A system is disclosed for monitoring waste collected by a service vehicle. The system may include a lift actuator configured to cause lifting of the waste, a power takeoff driven by a powertrain of the service vehicle to power the lift actuator, and a sensor configured to generate a speed signal indicative of a speed of the powertrain. The system may also include an output device, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the output device. The controller may be configured to receive the speed signal from the sensor, determine an amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator based on the speed signal, and relay the amount of waste to the output device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a monitoring system and,more particularly, to a system for monitoring loading of a wastereceptacle.

BACKGROUND

Service vehicles have been used in the waste industry to collect wastefrom a receptacle (e.g., from a dumpster or a wheeled tote) and totransport the waste to a final disposition location. A conventionalservice vehicle includes forks or arms that extend forward, rearward,and/or to the side of a bed. The forks engage corresponding features(e.g., pockets or slots) formed in each receptacle, such that thereceptacle can be lifted and dumped into the bed. In some embodiments, ahydraulic circuit is operatively connected to the forks, such that theforks and receptacle can be moved with reduced effort.

It can be important to gather information about the receptacle and/orthe waste collected from the receptacle during servicing. For example,some service providers bill their customers based on an amount of waste(e.g., a weight of the waste) collected from each customer's receptacle.In another example, compliance with particular regulations (e.g.,roadway regulations, emissions regulations, recycling regulations,hazardous waste regulations, etc.) requires that information becollected in association with waste discarded by particular customersand/or transported to particular final disposition locations. In theseexamples (and in other examples), the information may be collected byway of one or more sensors mounted to the service vehicle. For example,a strain gauge could be mounted in the bed of the service vehicle or toa strut supporting the bed and used to measure a change in payload ofthe service vehicle during service at a particular customer location. Inanother example, a pressure sensor could be associated with thehydraulic circuit connected to the forks of the vehicle and used tomeasure a change in hydraulic pressure associated with an engagedreceptacle.

Although the sensors used in conventional waste service vehicles may beappropriate for some applications, they can also be expensive, slow torespond, inaccurate, and/or mounted in exposed areas that make themprone to damage. The disclosed system is directed to overcoming one ormore of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the priorart.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a system formonitoring waste collected by a service vehicle. The system may includea lift actuator configured to cause lifting of the waste, a powertakeoff driven by a powertrain of the service vehicle to power the liftactuator, and a sensor configured to generate a speed signal indicativeof a speed of the powertrain. The system may also include an outputdevice, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the outputdevice. The controller may be configured to receive the speed signalfrom the sensor, determine an amount of waste lifted by the liftactuator based on the speed signal, and relay the amount of waste to theoutput device.

In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to another systemfor monitoring waste collected by a service vehicle. This system mayinclude a locating device configured to generate a location signalindicative of a location of the service vehicle, a lift actuatorconfigured to cause lifting of the waste, and a power takeoff driven bya powertrain of the service vehicle to power the lift actuator. Thesystem may also include a sensor configured to generate a speed signalindicative of a rotational speed of the powertrain, a display, and acontroller in communication with the location device, the sensor, andthe display. The controller may be configured to receive the locationsignal from the locating device, receive the speed signal from thesensor, and determine an amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator asa function of the rotational speed of the powertrain only when thelocation signal indicates that the service vehicle is at a known servicestop. The controller may be further configured to cause the amount ofwaste to be shown on the display, along with at least one of anidentification and coordinates of the known service stop.

In yet another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method ofmonitoring waste collected by a service vehicle. The method may includediverting power from a powertrain of the service vehicle to a liftactuator to cause lifting of the waste, and generating a speed signalindicative of a speed of the powertrain. The method may also includedetermining an amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator based on thespeed signal, and relaying the amount of waste to an output device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric illustration of an exemplary disclosed wasteservice vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of an exemplary disclosed loadmonitoring system for use with the waste service vehicle of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary disclosed method ofoperation that may be performed by the load monitoring system of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary waste service vehicle 10 that isconfigured to service a receptacle 12. The service may include, forexample, the removal of waste materials from inside of receptacle 12,the removal of receptacle 12, and/or the placement of new or additionalreceptacles 12 at a particular customer location.

Service vehicle 10 may take many different forms. In the example shownin FIG. 1, service vehicle 10 is a hydraulically actuated, front-loadingtype of service vehicle. Specifically, service vehicle 10 may include abed 14 supported by a plurality of wheels 16, a cab 18 located forwardof bed 14, and a lifting device 20 extending forward of cab 18. Liftingdevice 20 may consist of, among other things, one or more lift arms 22that are configured to engage and/or grasp receptacle 12, and one ormore actuators 24 connected to lift arms 22. Actuators 24 may be powered(e.g., by pressurized oil) to raise lift arms 22 and receptacle 12 uppast cab 18 to a dump location over bed 14. After dumping of receptacle12, actuator(s) 24 may allow lift arms 22 and receptacle 12 to lowerback to the ground in front of service vehicle 10.

In another example (not shown), service vehicle 10 may be a flatbed orroll-off type of service vehicle. Specifically, lifting device 20 mayextend rearward of cab 18 and be powered to raise receptacle 12 up ontobed 14 for transportation of receptacle 12 away from the environment.After dumping of receptacle 12 at a landfill (or swapping of a fullreceptacle 12 for an empty receptacle 12), receptacle 12 may be returnedto the service location and lowered back to the ground behind servicevehicle 10. In other examples (not shown), lifting device 20 may belocated to pick up receptacles 12 from a side or rear of service vehicle10. Other configurations may also be possible.

Service vehicle 10 may include a powertrain 26 that provides power torotate wheels 16 and to cause actuators 24 to extend and lift receptacle12. As shown in FIG. 2, powertrain 26 may include, among other things,an engine 28, a transmission 30, and a power takeoff (PTO) 32. Engine 28may embody any type of engine known in the art, for example, a dieselengine, a gasoline engine, or a gaseous-fuel powered engine configuredto generate a mechanical power output. Transmission 30 may be connectedto the mechanical power output of engine 28 (e.g., via a torqueconverter 34), and itself include an output that can be connected to oneor more of wheels 16. Transmission 30 may embody a mechanicalspeed-shift transmission, a hydraulic transmission, an electrictransmission, or a hybrid transmission having any combination ofmechanical, hydraulic, and/or electric components. PTO 32 may beattached to receive power from engine 28 directly, or indirectly viatransmission 30 and/or torque converter 34, and to divert the power toan auxiliary circuit (e.g., to a hydraulic circuit 36). In the disclosedembodiment, PTO 32 is a mechanical gearbox. It is contemplated, however,that PTO 32 could embody or otherwise include electrical and/orhydraulic components, if desired.

Hydraulic circuit 36 may include a pump 38 that receives a rotationalinput from PTO 32 and generates a corresponding flow of pressurized oilthat is selectively directed through actuators 24, causing actuators 24to extend and raise lift arms 22 (referring to FIG. 1). For example,pump 38 may be driven by PTO 32 to draw in low-pressure fluid (e.g.,from a sump—not shown), pressurize the fluid, and direct the fluidthrough one or more valves (not shown) into first or head-end chambersof actuators 24. At the same time, low-pressure fluid from opposingsecond or rod-end chambers of actuators 24 may be drained from actuators24 back to the sump. The introduction of high-pressure fluid into thehead-end chambers and the simultaneous draining of low-pressure fluidfrom the rod-end chambers may create a pressure imbalance insideactuators 24 that causes associated pistons of actuators 24 to extendand raise lift arms 22. To lower lift arms 22, the fluid inside of thehead-end chamber may be drained back to the sump, allowing a weightacting on actuators 24 (e.g., the weight of lift arms 22 and receptacle12) to cause retraction of actuators 24 back to their originalpositions.

A speed of actuators 24 in raising lift arms 22 (and any connectedreceptacle 12) may be at least partially dependent on a flow rate of theoil entering the head-end chambers of actuators 24; the flow rate of theoil may be at least partially dependent on an input power of pump 38(i.e., an output power of PTO 32) and a combined weight of lift arms 22,receptacle 12, and the waste contained within receptacle 12. Forexample, for a given input power of PTO 32, a greater weight pressingdown on actuators 24 may result in pump 38 converting a greater portionof the input power from PTO 32 into pressure rather than flow rate,making for slower raising of lift arms 22. In contrast, for the sameinput power of PTO 32, a lower weight pressing down on actuators 24 mayresult in pump 38 converting a greater portion of the input power fromPTO 32 into flow rate rather than pressure, making for faster raising oflift arms 22. Accordingly, the raising-speed of lift arms 22 and/or atime required to raise lift arms 22 to the dump position may be related(e.g., proportional) to loading of actuators 24 (and, due to connectionsthrough lift arms 22 and receptacle 12, to an amount of waste containedwithin receptacles 12).

Similarly, an output speed of PTO 32 may be related to loading ofactuators 24. For example, when actuators 24 are heavily loaded, pump 38may draw more torque from PTO 32 to create the higher-pressuresdescribed above. And in contrast, when actuators 24 are lightly loaded,pump 38 may draw less torque from PTO 32. For a given amount of poweroutput from PTO 32, a greater torque-draw may result in slower outputspeeds and longer required operation (e.g., to fully raise receptacle 12to the dump position), while a lower torque-draw may result in fasteroutput speeds and shorter required operation. Accordingly, loading ofactuators 24 may be determined, at least in part, based on rotationalspeeds of PTO 32 and/or a time duration of PTO operation.

As PTO 32 provides power to hydraulic circuit 36 via pump 38, PTO 32 maydraw an even greater amount of power from engine 28 (e.g., viatransmission 30 and/or torque converter 34). For example, as PTO 32 isengaged to power pump 38, an even higher load (e.g., a load associatedwith the power passed to hydraulic circuit 36, plus a load associatedwith efficiency losses) may be temporarily placed on engine 28. In someapplications, engine 28 may be controlled (provided with increasedfueling) to operate at a higher speed in order to provide for thistemporary increased loading condition. In other applications, engine 28may simply be allowed to lug down to a lower speed (i.e., to divertpower from engine speed to torque output) during the temporary loadingcondition. In either situation, loading of actuators 24 may bedetermined, at least in part, based on rotational speeds of engine 28(and/or speeds of other rotating components, such as axles, shafts,bearings, gears, etc., that are located between engine 28 and PTO 32)and/or the time during which engine 28 operates at the higher or lowerspeeds (i.e., speeds that deviate from a normal unloaded idle speed).For example, the output shaft speed of a given model of PTO is dependentupon multiple factors including truck engine speed, transmissiongearing, pitch line velocity, and the internal gear ratio of the PTO.

As shown in FIG. 2, service vehicle 10 may be provided with a loadmonitoring system (“system”) 40 that can be used to track loading ofactuators 24 (and a corresponding weight of waste contained withinreceptacle 12 that is raised by actuators 24 via lift arms 22) based atleast partially on a rotational speed of powertrain 26 (e.g., a speed ofpump 38, a speed of PTO 32, a speed of engine 28, a speed oftransmission 30, a speed of torque converter 34, and/or a speed of anyintermediate rotating components). System 40 may include, among otherthings, at least one sensor 42 configured generate a signal indicativeof the rotational speed described above, a controller 44 incommunication with sensor 42 and configured to determine the loading ofactuators 24 based on the signal, and an output device 46 used bycontroller 44 to relay information regarding the loading.

In one embodiment, sensor 42 is a conventional rotational speed detectorhaving a stationary element rigidly connected to the frame of servicevehicle 10 that is configured to sense a relative rotational movement ofpowertrain 26 (e.g., a rotation of pump 38, a rotation of PTO 32, arotation of transmission 30, a rotation of torque converter 34, arotation of engine 28, and/or a rotation of any intermediate componentconnecting these devices to each other). In the depicted example, thestationary element is a magnetic or optical element that detects therotation of an indexing element (e.g., a toothed tone wheel, an embeddedmagnet, a calibration stripe, teeth of a timing gear, a cam lobe, etc.)connected to rotate with powertrain 26. The stationary element of sensor42 may be located adjacent to the indexing element and configured togenerate a signal each time the indexing element (or a portion thereof,e.g., a tooth) passes near the stationary element. This signal may bedirected to controller 44, and controller 44 may use this signal (e.g.,a frequency of signal receipt) to determine the rotational speed ofpowertrain 26 relative to the stationary element of sensor 42.

In another embodiment, sensor 42 is an acoustic and/or vibrational typesensor (e.g., a microphone or accelerometer) configured to remotelydetect the rotational speed of powertrain 26 (e.g., without directaccess to any rotating components) and generate corresponding signals.For example, sensor 42 may be able to receive sound waves transmittedthrough the air and/or through a framework of service vehicle 10 thatare generated by engine 28, transmission 30, PTO 32, and/or pump 38, andconvert the sound waves to electrical impulses directed to controller44. In this embodiment, any one or more of sensor 42, controller 44, anddisplay 46 could be integrally formed and/or packaged together in ahandheld device (e.g., a smartphone or tablet carried by the operator),as desired.

Sensor 43 may be any type of sensing and/or transducing deviceconfigured to monitor a parameter associated with the waste materialbeing loaded into service vehicle 12 and/or the associated receptacles12 being moved by service vehicle 10 (e.g., moved by lift arms 24), andto generate corresponding signals indicative thereof. Each of thesesensors 43 may be located anywhere on or in service vehicle 12. In oneexample, sensor 43 may embody a lift sensor, such as any one or more ofa load cell, a force gauge, a pressure sensor, a motion sensor, oranother type of lift sensor associated directly with lift arms 22, withactuator(s) 24, and/or with receptacle 12. In this example, the signalsgenerated by sensor 43 may correspond with strain on lift arms 22, witha force applied to lift arms 22 by actuator(s) 24, with a motion ofreceptacle 12, etc.

Alternatively, sensor 43 could be an acoustic sensor (e.g., one or moremicrophones), an accelerometer, or another similar type of sensorconfigured to detect engagement conditions and/or cycle completion oflift arms 22, an in-bed compactor, a receptacle door, etc. duringlifting, dumping, and/or shaking of receptacle 12. Signals generated bythese sensors 43 may be communicated to controller 44. In thisembodiment, any one or more of sensor 42, 43, controller 44, and display46 could be integrally formed and/or packaged together in a handhelddevice (e.g., a smartphone or tablet carried by the operator), asdesired. It is contemplated that sensor 42 may perform some or all ofthe functions described regarding sensor 43.

Sensor 45 may include a tire pressure monitoring system located within awheel 16 and configured to generate real-time, or near real-time signalsassociated with the air pressure and/or temperature of wheel 16. Sensor45 may be equipped with logic and a wireless transceiver, and beconfigured to transmit data to and/or receive instructions fromcontroller 44.

Controller 44 may include means for monitoring, recording, storing,indexing, processing, interpreting, and/or communicating informationbased on the signals generated by sensor(s) 42, 43, and/or 45. Thesemeans may include, for example, a memory, one or more data storagedevices, a central processing unit, or any other component that may beused to run the disclosed application. Furthermore, although aspects ofthe present disclosure may be described generally as being stored inmemory, one skilled in the art will appreciate that these aspects can bestored on, or read from, different types of computer program products orcomputer-readable media such as computer chips and secondary storagedevices, including hard disks, floppy disks, optical media, CD-ROM, orother forms of RAM or ROM.

Controller 44 may be configured to determine loading of actuators 24(e.g., a weight of the waste inside of receptacle 12 during raising bylift arms 22) based at least in part on the signal generated bysensor(s) 42. Controller 44 may then cause a representation of theweight to be relayed to a local or remote user via output device 46.

In some embodiments, controller 44 may need to first filter and/orbuffer the signal from sensor(s) 42 prior to relaying the informationdescribed above. For example, controller 44 may be configured to utilizethe signal generated by sensor(s) 42 only when the signal has a valueabove a predefined threshold and/or within an expected range. Forexample, only when the signal indicates that at least a known weight ofreceptacle 12 (or at least a minimum amount greater than the knownreceptacle weight, for example at least 25 lbs. greater) has been loadedonto actuators 24, will controller 44 record the information, relay theinformation to a remote system, and/or cause corresponding informationto be displayed. This may help to avoid errors in tracking the weight ofcollected materials.

Output device 46 may embody any type of device known in the art forrelaying weight-related information received from controller 44 to auser (e.g., to an operator of service vehicle 10). In one embodiment,output device 46 is a visual display (e.g., a liquid crystal display(LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a personal digital assistant (PDA), aplasma display, a touch-screen, a portable hand-held device, or any suchdisplay device known in the art) configured to actively and responsivelyshow the weight-related information described above to the operator ofservice vehicle 10. The display may be connected to controller 44, andcontroller 44 may execute instructions to render graphics and images onthe display that are associated with loading of actuators 24. In anotherembodiment, output device 46 is a communication device configured torelay the information to a remote location (e.g., to a back office). Asa communication device, output device 46 may include hardware and/orsoftware that enable the sending and/or receiving of data messagesthrough a communications link. The communications link may includesatellite, cellular, infrared, radio, and any other type of wirelesscommunications.

It is contemplated that output device 46, in addition to relayingweight-related information, could also be used to provide a way for anoperator of service vehicle 10 to input observances made while travelingaround the environment. For example, the operator may be able to enter atype and/or condition of waste observed at a particular location, anamount of waste in or around receptacle 12, a fill status of aparticular receptacle 12, a condition of receptacle 12, a location ofreceptacle 12, a type of waste material being transported, anend-disposition location of the waste material, and/or other informationabout receptacle 12 and the waste engaged by, loaded into, or otherwiseprocessed by service vehicle 10. The information may be input in anynumber of ways, for example via a touch screen interface, via one ormore buttons, via a keyboard, via speech recognition, via a camera, orin another manner known in the art.

In some instances, the weight information generated by controller 44 maybe linked (e.g., by controller 44 and/or an operator of service vehicle10) to a particular service location. The service location may bedetermined and manually input by the operator of service vehicle 10, orautomatically determined and received by controller 44 (e.g., based on alocation detected by a locating device 48).

Locating device 48 may be configured to generate signals indicative of ageographical position and/or orientation of service vehicle 10 relativeto a local reference point, a coordinate system associated with a localwaste environment, a coordinate system associated with Earth, or anyother type of 2-D or 3-D coordinate system. For example, locating device48 may embody an electronic receiver configured to communicate withsatellites, or a local radio or laser transmitting system used todetermine a relative geographical location of itself. Locating device 48may receive and analyze high-frequency, low-power radio or laser signalsfrom multiple locations to triangulate a relative 3-D geographicalposition and orientation. In some embodiments, locating device 48 mayalso be configured to determine a location and/or orientation of aparticular part of service vehicle 10, for example of lift arms 22(shown only in FIG. 1). Based on the signals generated by locatingdevice 48 and based on known kinematics of service vehicle 10,controller 44 may be able to determine in real time, the position,heading, travel speed, acceleration, and orientation of service vehicle10 and lift arms 22. This information may then be used by controller 44,for example, to initiate the weight determination algorithm describedabove, and/or to attribute the information to a particular locationwithin an electronic map or database of the environment.

It is contemplated that locating device 48 may take another form, ifdesired. For example, locating device 48 could be an RFID readerconfigured to interact with an RFID tag located within a surroundingenvironment (e.g., at a customer location, on receptacle 12, etc.), oranother type of scanner configured to read another type of indicia(e.g., a barcode) within the environment. Based on the reading of theRFID tag or other indicia, the location and/or orientation of servicevehicle 10 may be linked to the known location of the RFID tag or otherindicia within the environment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart associated with an exemplary method ofoperating service vehicle 10 that may be performed by controller 44.FIG. 3 will be described in more detail below to further illustrate thedisclosed concepts.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The disclosed system may be applicable to the waste service industry,where service-monitoring can affect profitability and efficiency. Thedisclosed system may be used to automatically monitor an amount of wastecollected by a service vehicle at a particular location. Operation ofthe disclosed system will be described in reference to FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, operation of system 40 may begin with tracking ofservice vehicle location and operation (Step 300). In particular, asservice vehicle 10 moves about the environment (referring to FIG. 1),the location of service vehicle 10 may be tracked via locating device 48(referring to FIG. 2). This information may then be used by controller44 to determine if service vehicle 10 is at or within a thresholdvicinity of a known service stop (e.g., based on a listing of knownservice stops and associated coordinates stored in memory) (Step 310).Control may cycle through Steps 300 and 310 until controller 44determines that service vehicle 10 is at or near a stop at which servicevehicle 10 is tasked with raising and emptying receptacle 12 into bed14.

It is contemplated that controller 44 may determine the arrival ofservice vehicle 10 at a service stop in another manner, if desired. Forexample, controller 44 may automatically determine the arrival ofservice vehicle 10 at a service stop based on one or more additionalfactors including detection by additional sensors 42, 43, and/or 45, ofvibrational or acoustic frequency responses, force(s), and/orpressure(s) (e.g. air pressure in one or more of wheels 16), indicativeof a service being performed by service vehicle 10. By way of anotherexample, the operator of service vehicle 10 may provide manual input(e.g., via device 46) indicative of the arrival.

Regardless of the way in which controller 44 determines arrival at theservice stop, controller 44 may activate sensor(s) 42 to monitor arotational speed of powertrain 26 (e.g., of engine 28, transmission 30,PTO 32, torque converter 34, and/or pump 38) (Step 320). Sensor(s) 42may responsively generate signals indicative of the rotational speed,and direct the signals to controller 44 for further processing. It iscontemplated that, rather than activating sensor(s) 42 at Step 320,sensor(s) 42 may always be active and controller 44 may simply receive,record, and/or utilize the signals generated by sensor(s) 42 at Step320.

Controller 44 may utilize the signal(s) generated by sensor(s) 42 todetermine a load acting on actuators 24 during raising of receptacle 12(e.g., a weight associated with the amount of waste inside of receptacle12) (Step 330). As described above, controller 44 may determine the loadacting on actuators 24 as a function of the rotational speed (e.g., of aspeed change) of powertrain 26 during lifting and/or a time duration ofthe lifting. The time duration of the lifting may correspond with periodof time during which the rotational speed of powertrain deviates from(e.g., is elevated above) a normal unloaded idle speed.

For example, during normal operation of service vehicle 10, when servicevehicle 10 is stopped, the idle speed of powertrain 26 may be about 700rpm. However, when actuators 24 are to be energized and cause lift armsto raise receptacle 12, PTO 32 may engage to draw power from engine 28(e.g., via transmission 30 and/or torque converter 34). In response tothe engagement of PTO 32, engine 28 may be controlled (e.g., providedwith extra fuel) to increase power output, thereby raising the monitoredpowertrain rotational speed from 700 rpm to 1200 rpm. Engine 28 mayremain at this elevated power output level as long as PTO 32 is engagedto draw power (e.g., as long as actuators 24 are raising lift arms 22and receptacle 12). Controller 44 may monitor the change in rotationalspeed (e.g., from 700 rpm to 1200 rpm) and/or the time duration of theelevated rotational speed, and calculate the weight associated with thewaste in the raised receptacle 12.

In an additional embodiment, upon determining the arrival of servicevehicle 10 at the service stop, Step 310, controller 44 may activatesensor(s) 43 and/or 45 to monitor the acoustic and/or vibrationalfrequency response(s), force(s) (e.g. force on one or more lift arm(s)22), and/or pressure(s) (e.g. air pressure in one or more of wheels 16),to monitor applicable aspects of service vehicle 10 during performanceof a waste service. Sensor(s) 43, 45 may responsively generate signalsindicative of frequency response(s), force(s), and/or pressure(s), anddirect the signals to controller 44 for further processing. It iscontemplated that, rather than activating sensor(s) 43, 45 at Step 320,sensor(s) 43, 45 may always be active and controller 44 may simplyreceive, record, and/or utilize the signals generated by sensor(s) 43,45 at Step 320.

In this embodiment, controller 44 may monitor the signal(s) generated bysensor(s) 43 and/or 45 to determine the weight associated withreceptacle 12 and the waste inside of receptacle 12, and/or the timeduration of a waste service. For example, upon lifting a receptacle 12to provide a waste service, the signals generated by sensor(s) 45,associated with the air pressure in wheels 16, may be expected toincrease in some known proportion to the total weight of both the wasteinside of receptacle 12, and the weight of receptacle 12 itself. Thetire pressure may subsequently fluctuate as waste falls from receptacle12 into bed 14. Upon completion of a service activity, when vehicle 10no longer bears the weight of receptacle 12, controller 44 may determinethe weight of waste inside of receptacle 12 by comparing signalsreceived from sensor(s) 45 just prior to, and immediately after a wasteservice is performed.

In a further embodiment, controller 44 may monitor the time duration orload increase of a service activity based on signals generated bysensor(s) 43, which are configured to generate signals associated withthe acoustic and/or vibrational frequency response(s) in and/or aroundservice vehicle 12, and/or force on one or more lift arm(s) 22 during awaste service. For example, the start and finish of a waste serviceactivity may be identified by monitoring sensor(s) 43 to identifysignals indicating movement of service vehicle 10 along the Z-axis whilesignals from locating device 48 indicate that service vehicle 10 is nottravelling. Controller 44 may utilize the signals received fromsensor(s) 43, 45 to determine both the time duration of a waste serviceactivity, the total weight of receptacle 12 and the waste inside ofreceptacle 12, and the total weight of waste deposited from receptacle12 into bed 14. It is contemplated that controller 44 may monitor one ormore of sensor(s) 42, 43, and 45, alone or in combination, to determinethe time duration and load associated with providing a waste service.

Controller 44 may then link the weight determined at Step 330 to theservice stop location (e.g., to an identity, address, and/or coordinatesof the service stop location), and relay the information to the user(e.g., to the operator or a back-office manager) via one or more ofoutput devices 46 (Step 340). For example, controller 44 may cause anindication of the weight to be displayed on output device 46, along withthe location information. In another example, controller 44 maywirelessly communicate the weight and location information offboardservice vehicle 10 (e.g., to a computer at a back office).

In some embodiments, controller 44 may only link the weight determinedat Step 330 to the service stop location and/or relay the associatedinformation to output device 46 when the weight exceeds a minimumthreshold value. The minimum threshold value may be, for example, afixed amount of weight (e.g., about 25 lbs) greater than a known weightof receptacle 12. This may help to inhibit recording of weight valueswhen only an empty (or nearly empty) receptacle 12 is raised.

The disclosed system may provide a way to accurately determine theamount of waste collected at each stop made by service vehicle 10 in aninexpensive and robust manner. In particular, because the disclosedsystem may utilize common sensor(s) often already in use on servicevehicle 10 for other purposes, the cost of the system may be low. Inaddition, because the sensor(s) may be located remote from where thewaste is collected, the sensor(s) may be protected from impacts andcontamination that could degrade the accuracy and/or longevity of system40.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made to the disclosed system. Otherembodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromconsideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed system.It is intended that the specification and examples be considered asexemplary only, with a true scope being indicated by the followingclaims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for monitoring waste collected by aservice vehicle, comprising: a lift actuator configured to cause liftingof the waste; a power takeoff driven by a powertrain of the servicevehicle to power the lift actuator; a sensor configured to generate aspeed signal indicative of a speed of the powertrain; an output device;and a controller in communication with the sensor and the output device,the controller being configure to: receive the speed signal from thesensor; determine an amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator basedon the speed signal; relay the amount of waste to the output device;determine when the service vehicle is at a service stop; and determinethe amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator when the service vehicleis at the service stop.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein: the speedsignal is indicative of a deviation in powertrain speed from a normalspeed during lifting of the waste; and the controller is configured todetermine the amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator as a functionof the deviation.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller isfurther configured to determine the amount of waste lifted by the liftactuator as a function of a duration of the deviation.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: determine the amountof waste lifted by the lift actuator only when the service vehicle is atthe service stop.
 5. The system of claim 4, further including a locatingdevice configured to generate a location signal indicative of a locationof the service vehicle, wherein the controller is configured todetermine when the service vehicle is at a service stop based on thelocation signal.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller isfurther configured to: link an identification of the service stop withthe amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator at the service stop; andrelay the identification along with the amount of waste to the outputdevice.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configuredto cause the amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator to be relayedto the output device only when the amount of waste lifted by the liftactuator exceeds a threshold amount.
 8. The system of claim 7, whereinthe threshold amount is a minimum amount greater than a known weight ofa receptacle containing the waste during lifting.
 9. The system of claim1, wherein the sensor, the output device, and the controller areintegrated into a mobile handheld device located remotely from thepowertrain.
 10. A system for monitoring waste collected by a servicevehicle, comprising: a locating device configured to generate a locationsignal indicative of a location of the service vehicle; a lift actuatorconfigured to cause lifting of the waste; a power takeoff driven by apowertrain of the service vehicle to power the lift actuator; a sensorconfigured to generate a speed signal indicative of a speed of thepowertrain; a display; and a controller in communication with thelocating device, the sensor, and the display, the controller beingconfigure to: receive the location signal from the locating device;receive the speed signal from the sensor; determine an amount of wastelifted by the lift actuator as a function of the speed of the powertrainonly when the location signal indicates that the service vehicle is at aknown service stop; and cause the amount of waste to be shown on thedisplay, along with at least one of an identification and coordinates ofthe known service stop.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein: the speedsignal is indicative of a deviation in powertrain speed from a normalspeed during lifting of the waste; and the controller is configured todetermine the amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator as a functionof the deviation and a duration of the deviation.
 12. The system ofclaim 10, wherein the controller is configured to cause the amount ofwaste lifted by the lift actuator to be shown on the display only whenthe amount of waste lifted by the lift actuator exceeds a thresholdamount.
 13. A method of monitoring waste collected by a service vehicle,comprising: diverting power from a powertrain of the service vehicle toa lift actuator to cause lifting of the waste; generating a speed signalindicative of a speed of the powertrain; determining an amount of wastelifted by the lift actuator based on the speed signal; relaying theamount of waste to an output device; determine when the service vehicleis at a service stop; and determine the amount of waste lifted by thelift actuator when the service vehicle is at the service stop.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, wherein: the speed signal is indicative of adeviation in powertrain speed from a normal speed during lifting of thewaste; and determining the amount of waste lifted by the lift actuatorincludes determining the amount of waste as a function of the deviation.15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the amount of wastelifted by the lift actuator further includes determining the amount ofwaste lifted by the lift actuator as a function of a duration of thedeviation.
 16. The method of claim 13, further including determine whenthe service vehicle is at a service stop, wherein determining the amountof waste lifted by the lift actuator includes determining the amount ofwaste lifted by the lift actuator only when the service vehicle is atthe service stop.
 17. The method of claim 16, further including: linkingan identification of the service stop with the amount of waste lifted bythe lift actuator at the service stop; and relaying the identificationalong with the amount of waste to the output device.
 18. The method ofclaim 13, wherein relaying the amount of waste to the output deviceincludes relaying the amount of waste only when the amount of wastelifted by the lift actuator exceeds a threshold amount.
 19. The methodof claim 18, wherein the threshold amount is a minimum amount greaterthan a known weight of a receptacle containing the waste during lifting.